California State University-Northridge Top Questions

i Dont think that there is one.

The main stereotypes of students at Cal State Northridge is that a majority of the students are commuters and that a majority have low GPA's/don't work hard because of the high acceptance rate. Although it is a true that a lot do commute and many do not dorm, people applying must remember that most CSU campuses in Southern California are meant for commuters and that the people who do dorm do indeed have a fun time and get some college experience. As for the GPA/lazy outtake of CSUN students, I can honestly say that this is false. Yes you will not have people in your classes who are UCLA or Stanford material, but you will have dedicated students who are willing to put in the time and effort to get an education and maybe even make a few friends to get some help or memories.

What?

Matadors

Since CSUN is so culturally diverse, I do not notice any stereotypes that might exist at CSUN. From what I've heard there are certain people that hang out at certain places but since I have not seen this happen then I can not comment.

The most common stereotype of CSUN is that the students here are underachieving students. Surrounded by colleges such as UCLA and USC the community views CSUN as a school for students who did not make into those schools. The stereotype is correct, most students who attend CSUN were hoping for it to be a back-up school, but it does not mean CSUN is a bad school. CSUN is rising up in rankings. The Business, CTVA, Education, and Arts programs are constantly gaining recognition nationwide.. I have had a few professors who actually teach at USC, UCLA, and UCSB as well as CSUN. In modern times, money is though, and CSUN is a great alternative even for those who do get into colleges that are ranked better than CSUN.

I have heard that CSUN students are portrayed to be extremely lazy. I believe that this is a very inaccurate portrayal of all the students at the school. Although there are those students who don't try as hard as others, there are many more who actually come to learn.

I don't think CSUN has much of a stereotype. The school is quite diverse when it comes to the students.

An stereotype of CSUN is that it is easy to get into and the classes are super easy. It is very untrue because I have learned a great deal and I am challenged to think critically in all my classes, especially my business classes.

The most common stereotypes are the frat guys and girls who just party all the time and don't do very well in their classes but still get by, the crazy save-your-soul Christians (there's over 10 Christian groups at our campus), and the stoners. I've met some relatively intelligent frat guys and some not so crazy Christians - but there's definitely a lot of tokers, but it's low key. It's not like people just bust out the reefer in public, but you always smell it in the dorms and see some stashed paraphernalia. You don't have anything to worry about if that's not you're thing though, peer pressure is basically non-existent among the stoners (can't say the same for the Greeks though). For the most everyone pretty much minds their own business and sticks to their relevant groups.

There are a lot of jocks on campus but I think the biggest stereotype of students is Greeks. We have a big Greek community as well as a big TV and Media school. So if you want to fall in the stereotype be in a frat/ sorority and Communication Major.

The most common stereotypes are the semi-retarded frat guys and girls who just party all the time and don't do very well in their classes, the crazy save-your-soul Christians (there's over 10 Christian groups at our campus), and the stoner's - lots and LOTS of stoners everywhere in the dorms. I've met some relatively intelligent frat guys and some not so crazy Christians - but there's definitely tokers EVERYWHERE, but it's low key. It's not like people just bust out the reefer in public, but you always smell it in the dorms and see some stashed paraphernalia. Sneak a tokes and "lunchboxes" are quite popular.

The stereotype for students at CSU Northridge is that they are all there because they couldn't get into better schools. While this may be the case for some students, the majority are there for other reasons. The film school at CSUN is ranked as one of the best in the nation, and it's business school is highly respected locally. If you want to go into business, your other options in the LA area are UCLA and USC, but between USC and CSUN, you can get the same quality training at a fraction of the cost at CSUN. That's really the case with many CSUN students. We come from middle class families where the costs of attending UC's or private institutions is just too high, so we go to CSUN. I know many excellent students who were accepted to much more prestigious universities, but came to CSUN because its a practical choice!

California State University Northridge is one of the most diverse campuses in California, and I think it's safe to say, in the U.S. We have all different races, people from all different backgrounds and various interests. There are the typical fraternities and sororities and some specialized ones too. There are hundreds of clubs that can suit all different interests. There is also a huge deaf culture on campus which is something that is also unique to our campus. I believe it has the second largest deaf community next to Gallaudet University (which is a deaf university). Really everyone could find their niche somewhere on campus.

I haven't really heard any stereotypes about the school as a whole, but there are various things happening with various groups of people.

A stereotype of Cal State Northridge is that it is an easy school. By this I mean that it is an easy school to get into and the classes are easy and that this is a major commuter school. Those stereotypes are somewhat true but people typically tend to exaggerate on these sorts of things. Although C.S.U.N. is a somewhat east school to get into, it is still a university which is not something to take for granted. I personally don't buy the hype about the classes being easy. Some professors do let you down easy but that is only sometimes true for lower division classes.

It is accurate. We're a very diverse campus so not many of one individual group.

This stereotype is misleading because the students which attend and continue with higher education are motivated and disciplined in their chosen field of study.

Well, I have heard that CSUN students are considered to be low achievers. From my experience I know that there are many high achievers coming out of CSUN. The sterotype is not accurate but it may affect the way employers choose to hire.

Unfortunately, CSUN students are perceived to be less academically adept when compared to students who get into US's or private universities like USC. However, this stereotype is completely false. Every university will inevitably have a handful of students who, although they are bright, are lazy and unmotivated. As a student double majoring in Political Science and Communication Studies and as a writing consultant in the Chicana/o Studies department, I have been exposed to students from all majors and backgrounds and can confidently say that the majority of CSUN students are exceptionally bright and enthused about education.